There Are Always Prices
by Rimnerel Ayasugi
Summary: The Bladebreakers meet a girl whose past ties to Kai, the Demoliton Boys, and the Russian abbey. When doors finally open, the Bladebreakers will discover every thing has a price. [Temporarily discontinued until further notice]
1. A Price For Happiness

Rimnerel: Okay, this is my newest project, and I would like to thank B.Tiamat Atardecer and Dark-Mage-Quisits for reviewing the first chapter of this before I posted. And I hope that everyone likes this project. It might even turn out to be a yaoi eventually with any time of pairing you would like to have! Now on with the story!  
  
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The young woman with dark plum colored hair sipped on a soda as she leaned against a tree looking at the winter sky. Her thoughts were occupied for the most part as she stood outside the huge stadium that an intense battle was going on within. Today was the last day of the World Beyblade Championships, an event she stopped watching the second battle around. She knew what was going to happen, there was no need for her to watch. The young woman allowed her teammates, of an amateur beyblade team, to continue to watch in order for them to gain experience for their appearance in the circuits next year.  
  
She wanted them to study all the competition so they knew what they were going up against. She already knew what to expect from their first tournament, which is why she stood outside the arena. That and the fact of the matter chills ran up her spine for just being there. Not near the stadium, if it were that simple she wouldn't worry. Some thing else put her at unrest. Her eyes went to the sky, sighing, and a light puff of breath coming out in the process.  
  
She wore a light coat, contrasting completely with her teammates bundling up. Complaining about how cold Russia was, and how anyone could live there. She had only smiled at the comment, but her mind continued to remain trapped in old memories. She actually liked this weather. It was relaxing in some ways, almost tranquil.  
  
"Hikaru! Hey Hikaru!" The girl looked towards where the voices were coming from to see a girl with short black hair and a younger boy with dark brown hair running towards her. These two were part of the Beyblade team she put together known in underground tournaments as Selece.  
  
"What's up?" the young lady called Hikaru inquired, continuing to sip on her soda.  
  
"They won! They really won, Hikaru!" The young boy with brown hair bounced up and down excitedly. Hikaru raised an amused brow at the boy's obvious sugar high. The other girl with him just grinned.  
  
"Oh, all right." Hikaru, also the team captain of Selece, gave them a nod. Of course the Demolition Boys had won. They were strong, and would never be able to lose to a team that was just made no more than months ago. "They're strong, that's why they won."  
  
"Yeah, but we thought for sure that they would lose. That guy had him on the ropes," the girl with black hair said.  
  
"What? What do you mean...?" Hikaru felt slightly unnerved by what her teammate had just said. "Rika, what happened, who won the match?"  
  
"Well, that guy on the Bladebreakers team, Tyson. I thought you stayed for the entire match?" Rika replied. She watched a strange change occur within her team captain's eyes. A blank look overcame the young captain as the soda can slip from her hand, clattering to the ground. "Hikaru-san?"  
  
"Oh...fuck..." Hikaru took off for the stadium arena. She could hear the cheering even before she made it back into the stadium. Once she reached the inside, she headed for the nearest railing, looking down at the Demolition Boys walking back to where they were being waited for. Nobody seemed to notice the fear that clung to them, as they headed for their locker room, but she noticed and knew what was to come. "I...I can't believe...they lost...how?"  
  
"A miracle," a voice said. Hikaru glanced briefly at the girl beside her with hot pink hair, streaked with cyber blue. Her cyber blue eyes studied her team captain for a long minute. "I thought the other boys would win also. The red head was really strong."  
  
"No..."  
  
"Hikaru? Are you okay?" The girl saw her captain gripping the railing tightly, enough that her knuckles were turning white. Plum hair curtains the anguished look in her eyes. The pink haired girl saw the visible tremors shaking the other. "Hikaru..."  
  
"Kira," Hikaru said. "I'm starting to feel sick. Take Maseo and Rika back to the hotel with you. I'll be there in a while once I feel better."   
  
Hikaru leaned against the pole. The pit of her stomach filled with dread for the outcome this battle had brought. The Demolition Boys lost, that meant too much for her to handle right now. In a tone too low to hear or even understand if the other had been listening, the plum haired girl said a Russian prayer. Those boys would need it for what laid ahead for them.  
  
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"Are you sure you're all right?" Maseo questioned his captain once more as he followed her down the corridor that one of the competing teams was in. He didn't know which one, but the girl seemed to have a good idea where she wanted to be. What was going on? Why was she acting so strange? First she told them to go back to the hotel without her, and now she's wondering around the empty halls as if waiting for something. Since he and Rika had told her about the Bladebreakers' win, her attitude quickly changed.  
  
"I'm fine, you can go back to the others," Hikaru said. She was annoyed that they would leave Maseo to watch over her as if she was a baby, but in a way, she was also touched that they cared that much for her to make sure she was all right. But this was dangerous, having him follow her. If anything...she didn't want him, or the others becoming involved in this mess. It was already too much that they had come to Russia in the first place. But then she had to witness such an upsetting lost on top of it all.  
  
"You sure that you're all right. Come on, let's get back to the others," Maseo said, tugging on her shirt.  
  
"Don't worry about me, Maseo, I'll come real soon, I promise you that," she said to the boy. She didn't know if she could keep her promise to him, she hoped to God that she could just find out something without being spotted.   
  
"But Hikaru!"  
  
"Maseo, I--" The girl's sentence was stopped when she heard loud Russian cursing from one of the locker rooms. Quickly making her way to it, she pressed herself against the sidewall listening in. Maseo followed example, but he made a face not understanding why they were doing this. Or even what the man was saying.   
  
"Hikaru," Maseo began to whine.  
  
"Sh! Maseo, they'll hear us," Hikaru whispered.  
  
"But Hikaru," Maseo whined again. "I don't know what he's saying!"  
  
"Shut up, Maseo," Hikaru hissed, as she clamping a hand on the boy's mouth. The last thing she needed was to be caught eavesdropping. "If I tell you what he's saying, will you shut up?"  
  
The young boy nodded his reply since she had covered his mouth. Hikaru continued to listen to the angry Russian words, recognizing that voice to be the Demolition Boys' keeper. That was indeed Boris Balcov; she would never forget that biting tone for anything. It still haunted her dreams sometimes. A slight tremor rolled through her body subconsciously, remembering the past and why she had not wanted to come to Russia in the first place. A muffled sound called her attention back to the young boy, whose mouth she still covered. He was still waiting for her to tell him.  
  
"He's saying you're worthless children. I don't know why I saved you from the streets. You can't do anything right. What good are you now to me, I should just get rid of the lot of you," Hikaru repeated back in Japanese. Even though there was more to Boris's words, the boy did not need to know all of them  
  
"Mmm..." Hikaru removed her hand from over his mouth. The boy turned to his captain, his eyes huge. "You can understand Russian! I never knew that! Wow, that's amazing!"  
  
"Sh! Maseo! They'll hear us!" she whispered just as a slap was heard. Hikaru flinched, almost able to feel the slap herself. It could be worse, she told herself. He could have done so much worst. Yet, she also knew that it first started with slaps. Later would come horrendous punishments for this failure today.  
  
"That must have hurt..." Maseo whispered, lowering his eyes. "Do you think the guy who was yelling hit them?"  
  
Hikaru didn't answer him. She gripped her palms, unaware that her nails sunk into her skin until she felt the pain. Looking down, she found small dots of crimson rising. Unclenching her hands, she pulled out some paper from her back pocket, wiping her hands on it. This shouldn't be happening, none of it.  
  
"Hey, what are you two doing out here?" Both bladers nearly jumped out of their skins as they turned their heads, to see two young men watching them. One boy had dark red hair that stood up chaotically, while the other was a blonde. Hikaru quickly identified both as being Johnny and Enrique from The Majestics. She wondered what they were doing around this area. It was off limits to everyone, but she had managed to slip herself and Maseo into the area.  
  
"You nearly gave us a heart attack!" Maseo said hastily.  
  
"Sorry, but we were just wondering how you two managed to get around here. Don't you know it's closed off to spectators," Enrique remarked, checking out the girl.  
  
"We weren't doing anything. We were leaving," Hikaru said.  
  
"Nothing eh," Johnny smirked. "Seems to me that you were eavesdropping."  
  
"Will you lower your tone, they will hear us!" Hikaru said softly.  
  
"All right, now, what are you doing here?" Enrique remarked.  
  
"Listening to the man yell," Maseo said honestly. Hikaru looked at the boy. Sometimes she swore that he was too honest for his own good. Well, who could blame the kid for wanting people to trust him? She would have to talk to him again about telling complete strangers his business no matter how friendly they seemed. That was what got people in trouble in the first place.  
  
Enrique and Johnny looked at the girl who shifted her eyes away from them. "You understand Russian?" Enrique asked. There was definitely something about this girl that didn't seem right. Her eyes...something about her eyes wavered, something he couldn't pick up on.  
  
"Yes, I understand Russian, now be quiet!" she hissed softly, annoyed that they were trying to get them all busted, and the fact that she was being exposed. She never wanted anyone to know that not only could she understand the language, but also speak, write, and read it fluently, too many questions about how, where, and when. All those details she would love to forget. Coming here to Russia was only a quarter of her idea. The others had practically begged her to come she had eventually given in.  
  
"Okay, so what's being said?" Enrique questioned.  
  
"You don't want to know," Hikaru said. Looking over to the boy beside her, she motioned for him to move. "Maseo, we're leaving now, we have to head back to the hotel."  
  
"Yes ma'am," he replied, knowing when she got in one of these moments not to question her. There was something going on that she didn't want to speak about to anyone. He wondered what it was, and why she didn't talk to him about it. After all, he has known her for practically two years now.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute. I never got your name," Enrique said, as the girl started to walk off. "I'm--"  
  
She cut him a short stare. "I know who you are. You're Enrique, and he's Johnny. Both of you are from The Majestics," Hikaru stated. "The name's Hikaru Uesugi, and his name is Maseo Tsutomo. There's no need to make acquaintances, we won't be meeting again for a long time to come." Just as she was about to walk off, the door to the Demolition Boys' locker room swung open. Hikaru froze in her place, her eyes wide. Had they heard them outside the door talking? She couldn't face them...not Boris, or those boys...she just couldn't, at least not now.  
  
Seeing how panicked the girl seemed, Enrique took it upon himself to be her knight. Pulling the girl to him, he knew he would probably get slapped for it later, but this would work. Without waiting for her consent, the blond kissed her on the lips, wrapping his arms around her. That was enough to snap her out of her spell. She was about to protest when she realized that he was blocking her from sight. Johnny had already led the brunette boy away, saying that he didn't need to watch that, and having the younger ask why, only to have Johnny tell him he would understand later in life.  
  
'Note to self, slap him later.' Hikaru thought, wrapping her arms around him. Peeking slightly over his shoulder, she watched a bunch of guards leave, followed by a tall male with purple hair, which was Boris, and the Demolition Boys. The captain of the team had a handprint across his cheek, which would end up bruising. She could sense the tension in the air, and it made her stomach turn.  
  
One of the guards stopped, noticing the two that were kissing by the locker room. "Hey! What do you two think you're doing there?"  
  
Enrique pulled out of the kiss, turning his head to the guard with a giant goofy grin. "Oh, sorry. Is there a problem? This girl was just driving me crazy to kiss her, so I had to oblige her wishes. Isn't that right baby?" Enrique turned back to the girl, who had a brow rose.  
  
"Anata wa do korosu shimasu deshou," the girl muttered to him. Enrique felt a bead of sweat roll down his face. Yep, he was definitely going to get it later if she kept that tone with him. (Translation: "How am I going to kill you?")  
  
The guard stared at the two for a moment. "Whatever, now move along. This is a public place. Reserve that sort of activity for your hotel room," the guard voiced.  
  
Enrique shrugged indifferently, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Come on baby, let's go explore my hotel room then." The girl muttered something else in Japanese, translating into "you're digging yourself a deeper grave, buddy."   
  
Enrique began to lead the girl away when someone said something in Russian that made Hikaru stop in her tracks, turning her blood to ice. Hikaru couldn't have moved to save her life if she wanted to. They were probably watching her, looking suspiciously at her every motion. Why? Why was this happening?  
  
"Miss," she heard the guard say. "Would you mind coming here a second?"  
  
"N-nani?" she stammered. Thank god for being Japanese, if she had to speak English, she might have broke down completely by now. "Eigo wa wakarimasen. Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka." (Translation: What? I don't understand English. Can you speak Japanese?)  
  
"Hey dude, get your own chick! You know how hard it is to find a great Japanese chick these days?" Enrique said, pulling the girl along with him. "Come on baby, let's go." Hikaru allowed herself to be pulled away, still feeling the eyes on her back. It was too soon to return. She shouldn't have risked it at all. It had only been two and a half years now since she first left. Boris would not have forgotten her just yet. He knew her fear better than anyone else. He knew her barely successful escape all too well, and the chance to bring her back into the fold for good would not go unchallenged. He knew she knew he had to know.  
  
She couldn't face him here, not now, not with her teammates waiting for her. The time wasn't right, but she didn't want to leave those boys in his clutches for too long. It was killing her even now, but she had no choice. She would find the right time to come back for them, on terms that were in her favor. As she and Enrique rounded the corner, she looked up at the male who seemed a little too comfortable with his arm around her waist.  
  
"Hey buddy, you can drop the act now," Hikaru stated. Enrique looked at her with a slight teasing pout.  
  
"I was just getting use to the non-English speaking bit too. Do I really have to?" He batted his blue eyes at her; only to have another brow rose at him.  
  
"Not unless you want to lose that arm, pal," Hikaru remarked. "I'm not just a pretty face, I'm also one hell of a fighter when pissed off."  
  
"Okay, I get the point." Removing his arm, Enrique gave her a serious look. "What was that about back there?"  
  
"Do you have a place I can use a phone at?" She countered the question, with one of her own.  
  
"Changing the subject on me now. So that must mean you don't want to talk about it," Enrique said. "Fine you win. I could never argue with a pretty face. Yes, there is a place you can use the phone at. I was heading somewhere actually you can come with me and use the phone. What about your little friend?"  
  
"He's headed back to the hotel, he won't disobey my order," Hikaru replied, crossing her arms over her chest. She shouldn't leave them unsupervised for too long. If Boris knew she was traveling with others, they would be in danger. It was better she told them to leave as soon as possible and not stay and sightsee. Boris had men everywhere, and if he got his hands on a hostage to bring her back to the abbey...she didn't want to think about it too much.  
  
"Well, I guess we can go find you that phone then," Enrique shrugged. What was it about her that he couldn't shake? There was a huge air of mystery surrounding her that only seemed to get bigger. Who was she? And why was she so scared of the leader of the Demolition Boys' team?  
  
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"You boys were amazing, congratulations," smiled Mr. Dickenson to the Bladebreakers as everyone cheered for the five boys who had brought a stop to Biovolt's plans. They were all sitting in this huge suite living room Mr. Dickenson had arranged for them. Everyone was there, the White Tigers, All Starz, and The Majestics.  
  
"Yes. It was indeed an excellent match, an astounding upset that Tyson pulled off," Robert stated. "You saved the world, Tyson, that is something you should be proud of."  
  
"Indeed, quite a feat," Oliver agreed. Tyson, whose head was already five sizes too big, swelled even more at the remarks that his rivals were giving him.  
  
"It was nothing special, really!" Tyson grinned from ear to ear, like a maniac. The other Bladebreakers allowed him to gloat and bask in his glory, he did deserve it after all. Well...at least for now anyway. Later, it would be hell when Kai got back on his case when training was in full effect. Right now, Kai had a sort of distant look on his face no one seemed to notice. His thoughts were somewhere completely different. "Hey, by the way, where are those two loud mouths?" His reference was on Johnny and Enrique who had yet to come back from getting something at the stadium.  
  
"Watch who you're calling loud mouth," came Enrique's voice, as he and Johnny (who he met up with halfway back to the room, after Johnny made sure the young boy, Maseo reached his destination safely), and to everyone's surprise a young woman with dark plum colored hair walked into the room. Her eyes flickered over things before spotting a phone and going over to it. Picking up the receiver, she dialed a number and waiting. All eyes went to Enrique and Johnny who didn't seem to mind her just using the phone like that.  
  
"Um..." Max started.  
  
"She was in distress, I couldn't leave her alone," Enrique said with a huge grin. "What can I say, I have a soft spot for cute girls? Sue me for it."  
  
"Hopefully you caught a name?" Robert said, shaking his head. What was he going to do with the Roman boy?  
  
"Her name's Hikaru Uesugi, and happens to be the best kisser I've ever known." There was silence in the room as everyone just stared at the eccentric Roman blader. Sometimes they wondered if he was wrapped all too tightly. The young woman on the phone, Hikaru, stopped talking to whoever was on the other end to stare at Enrique with a rose brow.  
  
"Baka ne, byoin e iku tehazu o totonoemashou ka," the girl said to him before going back to talking to the person on the other end of the phone. A couple of people, mainly Kenny, Tyson, Max, and Rei snickered at the remark that they understood quite clearly. (Translation: Shall I make arrangements for you to go to the hospital, idiot?)  
  
"Don't be like that, baby," Enrique remarked as she finally hung up the phone. "You know I was just teasing you!"  
  
"You want to be hurt don't you?" Hikaru remarked. "Thanks for letting me use the phone, I'm out of here now."  
  
"Wait! You never told me," Enrique said as he grabbed her elbow to stop her.  
  
"Tell you what?" Hikaru asked, reframing from flipping him on his back in front of his friends.  
  
"Back there at the stadium. Why were you afraid of Bor--" Before Enrique could finish his sentence, he found himself on his back, a fist inches away from his face. The girl's eyes had changed once more, half filled with fear, and the other half fury. If it weren't for the fact she was still hot, he would be offended by the fact she had taken him down so easily. That and she were scared of something.  
  
"Don't you dare mention that name!" she hissed. "Just drop it, you don't want to get involved in this. Okay, you don't know where I went, you have no clue what my name is, and you have no clue if I'm still in Russia, got it."  
  
"Yep. Pretty much so," Enrique said, at her mercy. She let him go and was about to leave, but one Bladebreaker member was not about to let her go so easily. Was Enrique about ready to say why was she afraid of Boris? For a split second, Kai had a flashback of an older girl holding off the guards while he escaped.  
  
"Asuka..." came a soft whisper that was heard despite everything. Steps were stopped and eyes turned to meet auburn ones.  
  
"You..." Her words were in Russian; she knew he could understand her. Her eyes softened. "Kai...you're still all right, thank God."  
  
"You escaped...I thought..." Kai started. He had heard rumors that she had died by Boris's hands. When he first came to Russia, went back to the abbey and remembered everything, and joined the Demolition Boys' team once more, no one had mentioned a thing about her absence or that of her brother's. What had happened after he left Russia that surrounded such strange events now?  
  
"No...I made it out all right. But Kai...I have to go. You know, if Boris..." she lowered her eyes.   
  
"I know," Kai said. "I won't stop you, you know that. If you need any help, don't hesitate to contact me. I will do anything in my power to--"  
  
"No. I'm not bringing you down too. You escaped, don't draw yourself back into the web. I'll find some way, for everyone. I promised myself a long time ago I would take care of all of you. And I intend to keep that promise."  
  
Kai was silent, having nothing to say. When she got like this, there was no way to talk her out of it. She had always been like that, always putting everyone's needs above her own. Hikaru saw the look on the younger male's face and sighed. He wanted to help her, but this was her fight. There was no way she would drag him in it.  
  
"Kai...if you manage to save them first...tell them...tell them I said sorry," Hikaru replied, walking out the room, leaving everyone stunned by the fact that Kai seemed to know the mystery girl, and the trickle of Russian dialogue that had transpired between them. Who exactly was she and how did she know Kai. A bigger mystery had appeared than anyone knew, except for the young team captain of the Bladebreakers. And if everyone knew Kai as well as they did he wasn't about to tell.  
  
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Rimnerel: Wow, wasn't that a great chapter! If anyone has any problems with the translations, I'm sorry, I was doing a half and half job in my studies. I hope everyone likes it, and get in your voting now on pairings if you really want pairings to be added. Now, I'm going to work on Sympathy, if you like this one, I will update it. Later now! 


	2. A Price For Understanding

Rimnerel: Welcome to the next chapter of my wonderful story. I'm glad that it was received at a decent rate, and I hope that everyone likes the next chapter also. I'm being generous by giving you the next chapter so soon.  
  
Tala: This is generous? Wow, that's just great.  
  
Rimnerel: Stop being sarcastic, idiot and thank the people.  
  
Tala: Rim would like to thank B.T, Britt, russle, and Flaming Saber for all their reviews and hope you also enjoy this chapter also.  
  
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Rika and the other members of Selece, the team that was headed by the eccentric, but sometimes mysterious Hikaru Uesugi, sat in the lobby of the hotel they were staying at while in Russia for the now over World Beyblade Championships. Hikaru had allowed them to come in order to see first hand how impressive the competition would be when they went into the circuits the next year or so over. The tournament was impressive, they admitted that, but right now, a frown was set on each of their faces. Not too long ago, at the end of the tournaments, their captain felt sick and stayed behind while the rest were supposed to go back to the hotel.  
  
Worried that she might not be able to make it alone, they sent their youngest member, Maseo Tsutomo back for her. He told the other two members he found her sneaking into the off limits area where the teams' locker rooms were. Maseo told the two about her strange behavior and the knowledge she understood Russian. Everything would be fine if she had returned with Maseo back to the hotel. But the older girl turned up missing, calling them from a phone somewhere stating that they should leave Russia as soon as humanly possible. That anyone that came looking for her, they had not seen her since the championships and didn't know where she could have gone by now.  
  
"What do you think she's doing?" wondered Kira. "This is way too strange for my taste. I mean, why would she just disappear like that?"  
  
"Yeah, it makes me wonder too. I mean...what happens now?" Rika stated. Her attention went back to the boy sitting across from her. "Maseo, did she way anything to you when you brought her things downstairs and to the front of the hotel."  
  
"No," Maseo said, shaking his head. "She looked as if she was looking out for something, but other than that, she said to book it out of Russia on the next available plane we could catch. And that when we got to Japan, she would be at the usual place training."  
  
The eleven-year-old boy looked down at his hands. His light blue eyes were worried about his team captain. Hikaru was like a big sister to him, and he was sure that the other two girls felt the same way about her also. Yet Maseo felt much closer to the girl than the other two. After all, she took him under her wing first, teaching him about all sorts of things. The look on her face that day was like another time in the past before they met up with Rika and Kira. At times, the girl would wake up covered in a fine coat of sweat, her eyes taking on a haunted look. Sometimes looking at her beyblade as if...well...in pain.  
  
At times when he would wake up, he found her thrashing in her sleep, only to go limp the minute he touched her. Sometimes she moaned or pleaded softly in her sleep. Too soft for him to hear it sometimes, one time when he had been able to decipher her incoherent utterances, the only words he caught were forgive me. She repeated that over and over again until she fell into restless slumber. Could something here in Russia be the cause of it all?  
  
On the way here, Maseo noticed how tense the girl got. At first he figured that it was due to the fact she didn't like to fly. Now, he knew better than to think that. He should know her better, even better than the other two...or so he figured. Coming right down to it, Maseo didn't know a thing about her past. Hikaru never opened up about her past, not even to him, who she's known for almost two years now. The only thing Maseo really knew was that she was an excellent blader.  
  
She told him she learned from watching others, but he didn't think that was the case at all. When she practiced, she proved she was no amateur to the sport. Her passion for it was the most intense he ever saw. When she trained them, it was as if she had to make them the strongest possible. As if it was her life mission to make them unbeatable. Of course most teams wanted that, but she didn't play the sport for fun, blading seemed to be her life mission. Could part of the reason be here in Russia?  
  
"Seo-chan?" Rika inquired.  
  
"Nani?" Maseo looked at the fourteen year old girl with purple eyes. "What is it, Ri-kun?"  
  
"I was wondering, what do you think triggered her like that?" Rika wondered. She admired Hikaru and looked up to the girl as a very valuable person in her life. She was sure that Kira felt the same way about the older teen also. If it weren't for Hikaru, they would have never been such great bladers in the first place. When Hikaru first approached them, both girls were picked on constantly by other kids, many times having their blades damaged to the point of being beyond repair, but within only three weeks, both girls could take on their opponents, winning all their matches.  
  
Of course at times they complained about her methods being strict or unfair, but in the end, she always figured what was best for them. It was her strength that made Rika follow the girl without hesitation in her step. It must be pretty much the same for Kira also, who was always striving to beat the girl in one good beybattle.  
  
"I don't know. It started back when we were by the Demolition Boys' locker room. They were being chewed out in Russian. Hikaru looked really shook by what the guy was yelling at the Demolition Boys, as if she was the one being yelled at or something," Maseo remarked.  
  
"Does that mean...what does that mean?" Rika wondered.  
  
"I don't know," Kira remarked, looking away from the others, watching a tall male with dark colored hair almost like Hikaru's walked up to the receptionist desk and say something to the woman there. The woman shook her head then pointed in the exact direction that Kira, Rika, and Maseo sat. "The hell..."  
  
"What's the matter, Ki-kun?" Maseo inquired.  
  
"I don't know, but I think the receptionist just pointed us out to that guy that's heading in our direction. Look normal, we don't know what's up," Kira stated, shifting her eyes back to the male that approached. He was a tall man, maybe about six foot or more. His hair was close to Hikaru's color; his gray eyes stared directly into her own eyes.  
  
"Excuse me Miss," he said in polite Japanese. "I was just speaking with the receptionist and she told me that you might know a girl I'm looking for. Her name is Asuka."  
  
"Asuka? I don't know anyone by that name. What about you two?" Kira said, looking at her teammates, both shaking their heads. "Sorry Mister, but I don't think we know the girl you're looking for."  
  
"The receptionist said she saw a girl with you that matched Asuka's description perfectly. A girl of about sixteen now, with dark plum colored hair, and green eyes. I thought for sure that I found her after searching two years," the male sighed, looking down with mocked sorrow they did not catch.  
  
"Mister, are you okay?" the girl with hot pink hair asked.  
  
The male, Boris Balcov, director of the Russian abbey that the Demolition Boys came from, slowly lifted his head, hiding the devious glint in his eyes. "I'm fine, I just thought my search was over."  
  
"If it would help, we know a girl named Hikaru that fits that description, that's probably who you saw. She was at the stadium earlier. We're her teammates; our beyblade team is called Selece. She's our team captain," the girl with raven hair said. "I'm Rika Fudachi, these are my friends Kira Mori and Maseo Tsutomo."  
  
"So her name is Hikaru now?"  
  
"Wasn't it always?" Kira stated.  
  
A short smile rose to the male's face. "Her name is not Hikaru. She took that name from a young man she knew. Her real name is Asuka."  
  
"No way. Then...that doesn't make sense. Why would she lie to us about what her name is?" Maseo inquired. Boris glanced over the boy, taking note of how attractive he was. In a way, he reminded the male of Hikaru, the boy that Asuka took her name from. It would be really interesting to know what would Asuka do if he managed to get his hands on the boy.  
  
"It's true though," Boris stated.  
  
"How can we believe you? I mean, for all we know, you could be lying to us about really knowing her and stuff. Who are you?" inquired the girl name Kira.  
  
"My name is Boris Balcov. And the reason I seem to know so much about her is because that girl grew up under my care. She's my niece, and the boy she received her name from, Hikaru, is her older brother she left behind when she went back to Japan." Silence settled around them as everyone stared at the male.  
  
"That's impossible!" Maseo stated.  
  
"Has she ever told you about her family, I doubt it," Boris stated. "My niece was always like that. I was surprised when she disappeared almost two years ago. Her brother begged me to find her, which I have tried for the past two and a half years. His health is continuing to dwindle away."  
  
"I don't believe you," Rika frowned. "What proof do we have that you're—" Her words stuck in her throat when the male pulled out a picture of a younger looking Hikaru with a male that looked exactly like her. Five other boys were in the picture also: a red head, a blond, a dual haired boy, a navy haired boy, and a lavender haired boy. They were all standing somewhere in Moscow smiling at the camera.  
  
Boris discovered that those seven had managed to slip from the abbey for the day to have a little fun. When they got back, the evidence was the single picture they had managed to afford to remember the day forever. He doubted they would try a stunt like that again for the beating they received for it. He had kept the picture as a memento at crushing another one of their dreams of living a normal life.  
  
"Asuka, her brother Hikaru, and her closest friends in the abbey," Boris remarked.  
  
"Those look like...the Demolition Boys," Kira stated.  
  
"Wait, aren't you trainer of the Demolition Boys?" Maseo said suddenly.  
  
"Actually, I just raised them, they were trained by someone else, that person would be my niece," the male replied.  
  
"She trained the..." Was that why she acted so strangely earlier?  
  
"Yes, she trained them," Boris nodded. "They would also like to see her."  
  
"Well...in honesty, we don't know where she is. She came and got her bags and left. Telling us that she was going back to Japan and come as soon as possible. I guess she wanted to get to training for the next tournament," Maseo said, leaving out the fact that she was scared out of her mind by being in Russia.  
  
"How sad, I supposed that I will have to tell Hikaru that his younger sister has again deserted him," Boris sighed.  
  
"What do you mean deserted him?" Maseo inquired.  
  
Something wasn't right here at all. Wouldn't she have told him about living in Russia, about her brother, her friends, her uncle? She was tightlipped about her past, hardly telling them anything. But wouldn't it have seemed important that someone knew? If this man truly were her uncle, why would she run from him and her brother? Something about this man...Maseo's senses alerted him to something. He felt slightly uncomfortable sitting there, talking with the man, as if he...well, Maseo didn't know for sure, but he definitely didn't feel right.  
  
"She left him and never came back. He was very upset about it and soon fell ill afterwards. He's very sensitive, especially after their parents died when they were only children. I am the only other one that is alive to take care of him. I suppose Asuka didn't want to be held back by him anymore," Boris remarked.  
  
"That's a lie! She would never do something like that?" Maseo said angrily.  
  
Boris looked at the boy directly, impressed by just how lovely the boy was. He had to be no more than ten or eleven, but he was still stunning. The long lashes that lowered over those large shimmering blue eyes. The short brown hair occasionally falling ever so teasingly into his eyes, how his lips beckoned to be kissed, to allow gasps to escape while lips traveled down his slender boyish figure. Boris wanted to know exactly what his eyes would look like full of fear. To hear him scream out in pain and to beg to be released from his torment.  
  
"Then what would you say she did? Would you like to meet Hikaru and tell him that his sister didn't abandon him?" Boris inquired. "If you believe in her that much, please tell my nephew that."  
  
"Maseo..." Kira remarked with concern. "Are you going to go?"  
  
"Yes," he stated. "I want to meet her brother and tell him that she hasn't abandoned him. She isn't a bad person. She took me in two years ago after my parents abandoned me. I know what it feels like. I was alone and she told me that I could walk by her side until I felt I was ready for the world. She's taken care of me like a brother, like I'm sure she would her brother. If she never left, I don't know what would have happened to me. I want to tell him that he has nothing to worry about. When the time comes, she will come back."  
  
"Seo..." Rika said. "We know that you believe in her, but..."  
  
"You should believe in her too. I'm going. Get a hold of the number that she called from she might still be there. And tell her I'm with her uncle. Tell her that I will wait for her."  
  
"You sure you want to go alone?" Kira replied.  
  
"I'll be fine. I'll call you guys when I get there, okay." Maseo stood up from his chair, looking at the male, Hikaru...Asuka's, if that was really her name, uncle. "I'm ready, let's get going."  
  
---------------------  
  
{Flashback}  
  
_The night air was cold, slicing into the skin of the young man with dark plum colored hair and the girl with him. If anyone were to look at them, they would have thought the two were twins, but in fact, the girl by the name of Asuka was younger than the male named Hikaru by two years. She was almost 14 now, her brother now 16. The two huddled outside near the area they were made to train almost each day since getting to the abbey when they were six and eight. Their uncle, Boris Balcov, ran this place. A man they learned with time was the devil himself, or at least as much as he could be in their eyes.  
  
"Hikaru," the girl sniffed, rubbing her cold hands together in hopes of conducting heat to warm herself. Her brother wrapped himself around her, his shivering cause her to become colder despite the body heat between them. It was slowly fading. "How much longer do we have to wait? I'm cold."  
  
The young man looked down at her with his wide brown eyes. "I know you're cold, but we have to wait for the others to get here. Hang on a little bit longer, Asuka," Hikaru comforted his sister. The others were late he wondered if they had been caught.  
  
"Hikaru, we're going to freeze to death, we have to go back and look for them," Asuka said. "I don't know if they lost their way or what."  
  
"I agree. You stay here, I'm going to look for them," Hikaru got up from behind the bush they were huddled in.  
  
"Hikaru! Don't leave me alone," Asuka said, clenching to the boy's thin shirt.  
  
"Asuka, stay here, they may make it before I do," Hikaru stated. He handed the girl the train and plane tickets that he managed to buy sneaking into town. The plan was that he, Asuka, Tala, Bryan, Ian, and Spencer would escape out of Russia and get help for the other kids once they reached Japan. His uncle had to be stopped before he could hurt any more children. The group planned this out for almost a month now, and it was time for them to leave. But the four boys had yet to arrive. "Keep the money and tickets."  
  
"But Hikaru." Tears welled up in her eyes, only to have her brother reach down, wiping them away. "What if you don't come back? I will never be able to do this on my own."  
  
"You will be able to do it. You have to believe in yourself, Asuka. Mother and father will watch over us both, remember that," Hikaru assured. "I will come back to you, I promise." Asuka watched her brother leave his spot by her side. Asuka curled up into a ball, trying to stay warm while the cold Russian night stole what little heat was left from her.  
  
'Hikaru, where are you?' She wondered as time ticked away. She couldn't leave him behind also. As she stood to go look for him, a light fell on her hiding spot. The girl froze in her tracks, watching her uncle walking up with Hikaru struggling. "Hikaru!"  
  
"Well, so you two were planning an escape. You're forever disappointing me. First you decide to get in my way of what I want, then you try to take it away from me," Boris sneered.  
  
"Where are the others?" Asuka shouted. "What have you done to them?"  
  
"Nothing yet. I want the ringleaders that orchestrated this little plot. That would be you and Hikaru, Asuka. Now come here so I can deal with you correctly." Asuka backed away, seeing rope in his hands.  
  
"Asuka, run dammit! Run and don't look back!" Hikaru said, tackling their uncle, trying to pin him to the ground.  
  
"But what about you and the others?" Asuka cried. "I don't want to leave you behind!"  
  
"You're going to have to," Hikaru said struggling. "I know you can do this! Now get going while I can spare you a few moments!" For a long second, Hikaru and Asuka's eyes met, knowing that this may be the last time they see each other. Asuka squeezed her eyes shut, turning and running as fast as her legs could carry her. Even when her lungs burned for oxygen, she continued to run until she was as far away from the abbey as possible. It was on then that she curled into a tight ball and cried._

----------------  
  
Asuka jumped up from the chair she went to sleep in, turning around to find only Kai. She let out a sigh. "You scared me Kai."  
  
"You're still here," was all he said, knowing she understood exactly what he meant.  
  
"Hai. I could get a plane out tonight. I didn't want to risk going back to my hotel like that," Asuka said, staring down at her things.  
  
"Come back to my room. It's not safe for you to be sleeping out here like that," Kai stated. Asuka took her seat back, Kai sitting beside her in another chair in the hotel lobby. He looked down at his hands, not really knowing what to say. The last time he had seen her after all, was when he was eleven.  
  
"Kai, how are you doing?" Asuka inquired, looking at him. He was still the same boy she knew, always quiet, hesitant about things, probably opposite to what others thought about him. "After you escaped, what happened?"  
  
"I...I was able to make it on my own for a while. I made a gang back in Japan. Trained, stuff like that. But then Grandfather found me and made me stay back in the mansion in Japan. I was all right for a while. Eventually I met up with the Bladebreakers."  
  
"You don't have to talk about the other details, Kai. I understand." She had in fact met Voltaire on one of her uncle's business meetings. That man...she despised him the moment she laid eyes upon him. Just the knowledge he could hurt his grandson in such a manner that he cried in her arms for hours afterwards told her that she could expect no different from him, than she did of her uncle.  
  
"Asuka, how did you escape?" Kai wanted to know, that maybe Hikaru made it out with her.  
  
"Hikaru and I planned to the others out of the abbey. Go back to Japan and get some help for the others. But I don't know what happened...Uncle...he caught us. I was the only one that was able to escape back to Japan. I cut my hair short, and took on Hikaru's name and used our mother's maiden name. I hoped that Hikaru would be able to make it and find me," Asuka chuckled, the pain in her chest tightening.  
  
"I thought you were dead. When I came back and went to the abbey...you weren't there, neither was Hikaru. I was afraid to ask, to find out you were both dead," Kai declared.  
  
"I know Hikaru's dead, there's no way uncle would allow him to live. There was no way Hikaru would have wanted to live like that. That night when we parted, he looked at me, and I knew I would never see my brother again." A tear slipped down her face, before Kai caught it. He sympathized for her she put everything at risk for their sake, and did not ask for comfort no matter how much was thrown her way.  
  
"Why did you return?" Kai inquired.  
  
"My team, they wanted to see the tournament. I couldn't say no to them. I've grown so found of them. The youngest especially, his name is Maseo. His parents abandoned him when he was nine and I've taken care of him. In a way, I probably just replaced Hikaru with Maseo..."  
  
"No one blames you, Asuka. I don't, and I know Tala and the others don't. They know that you have to do what you can," Kai tried to reassure her, but was sure he wasn't doing too good a job. "Tala cared about you like you really were his older sister. He could never hate you for leaving you will eventually find some way back to them. He believes that, I could see it in his eyes. In all of their eyes."  
  
"Kai...thank you," Asuka smiled.  
  
"It's the least I can do for all you've done for us," Kai said, a tiny smile in the corner of his lips. "You're like a sister to me too. I don't think I would ever want to hate you for everything you've done. You've laid your life down for us, that means a lot when you could have turned the other way."  
  
"My conscious would have never been right after that," she admitted.  
  
"Asuka...the team you made...were you planning to come back here eventually and stop Boris?"  
  
"I put that team together with that purpose. Each one holds a bit beast that I managed to snag before leaving. Hikaru and I were going to train two other bladers to be strong. That plan backfired, and I ended up finding three people to wield the blades. They are do very well, at times complain, but I've grown use to them."  
  
"I see."  
  
Just then, Tyson came running up, stopping once he saw Kai sitting with the girl with plum hair. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. "Hey! You!"  
  
"Are you addressing me?" Asuka remarked. "The name is Asuka."  
  
"I thought your name was Hikaru?" Tyson said confused.  
  
"That's just a name I go by around my team. My real name is Asuka."  
  
"Ah...well anyway, one of your teammates called us and asked were you still here. I think she said her name was Rika. But she wanted me to give you a message if we saw you. Since Kai seemed like he knew you, I was going to tell him an—"  
  
"Get to the point," Asuka interrupted. Tyson showed a moment of indignation, but let it slip.  
  
"The point is that she told us to tell you that Maseo was going to go with your uncle to meet your brother and he wanted you to come meet up with him if you were still around," Tyson responded. The last thing he expected was to see the older teen pale completely. She jumped up out of her chair, her eyes wide with fear.  
  
"That idiot! If I've told him over and over again, it's for him not to go with anyone he doesn't know. How stupid could he be to ignore what I say?" Asuka stated.  
  
"Asuka..." Kai remarked.  
  
"No, I got this. Stay with your team, this is my teammate. There's no need for you to get involved with this," Asuka declared.  
  
"What's the big deal with you two? He just went to see your brother. He's with your uncle and all," Tyson shrugged, not understanding why they got so riled up. He found seething green eyes upon his person, causing him to take a step back.  
  
"You obviously don't know who my uncle is and what he's capable of. I doubt that my brother, Hikaru, is even still alive. My uncle would do anything to get me back. Kai, I'm going to get Maseo, I know that my uncle won't let me go so easily, so find Maseo and keep him from being led back there," Asuka ordered.  
  
"But...what about you?" Kai answered.  
  
"I'll take my chances there. If I've been able to do this for as long as I have, then there's no need to worry about what will happen to me. I made it out of there once I can do it again. Don't worry about me, okay." Asuka lifted Kai's face up, so she could see into those dark eyes that held so much fear. The smile on her face settled him little.  
  
"Asuka..." he whispered, tears forming that only she saw.  
  
"Everything will be fine, I promise. You know I never break my promises, Kai. Never. Now do as I say and find him." She got only a feeble nod, but it was enough to know that he would allow her to go back into the flames of hell without dragging others back with her. Turning from him, she headed out of the hotel, into the cold Russian night.  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Rimnerel: Am I evil or what? Yes, I suppose that I am.  
  
Tala: There's never a time when you aren't evil.  
  
Rimnerel: Hey! I resent that! There are times! I can't think of them right now, but I'm sure they exist. But anyway, I would like to thank everyone again. And remember, any pairings that you want to see for later, get them to me now so I can put them in later, or I won't do them cause I'm growing tired of making the pairings. So, until another time! 


	3. A Price For Innocence

Rimnerel: Let's see...anything important for this chapter?  
  
Tala: You actually have points with your chapters? That's a new one.  
  
Rimnerel: I hate you too. Let's see what I can do to you in this chapter. Oh, and russle, you asked about why Asuka didn't mention Kai in her flashback, well she helped him before she escaped. It was back at the end of the first chapter, and the second chapter.  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
Asuka ran down the dark, abandoned streets of Moscow as she made her way to the abbey that she grew up. The abbey that filled her dreams with terror and hopelessness...the abbey that her uncle ran.  
  
The same uncle she thought she could once love for taking her and her brother Hikaru in when their parents died in a car crash when she was six. That day she first met him, he had smiled so genuinely...or so she first thought. Behind that smile, laid a monster she was blind to for an entire year. How could she have not seen the things happening to her?  
  
'Boris was my uncle that was my only salvation. When I decided to turn against him because of those five boys, I was tossed out of my sightless egg and forced to witness the brutal truth behind it all.' Asuka thought to herself as she ran across another street, her breath coming out in quick puffs of steam.  
  
This was like two years ago. Running through the empty, cold streets, escaping from the place she so hated. That took her brother and her friends away from her. Took away her chance to be happy, to start over and make the best of her situation. Yet, her uncle had never allowed it, once she could see the things around her. In truth, she was a fool to think that place would be a new start.  
  
That place...the very thought of it chilled her inside out. That place had changed her forever. She was forced to grow up faster than she wanted to take on responsibilities too young for a child of her age. To give up her childhood to benefit others in hopes they could try to be children in her place.  
  
A place she never wanted to go back to, but she had to this time. It was ironic, the same place she hurriedly got away from, was the same place she hurried towards. Only because of that boy...Maseo Tsutomo, that little boy she made a promise to more than two years ago when she first came to Japan from Russia.  
  
---------------

{Flashback}  
  
_The young girl stood in the bathroom of a small little restaurant looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her dull green eyes flickered over her image for a long time. She could still see it. She still looked like her brother, Hikaru. Especially now that her hair was as boyishly short as his had been. Asuka touched her image, the reflection doing the same thing. Tears welled up in her eyes tumbling down. Asuka laid her head against the glass, clenching her fist.  
  
"Hikaru...Hikaru why did you make me do this?" Asuka choked out. "I didn't want to leave you or the others. I don't know what to do. I don't know, Hikaru!"  
  
Asuka slid down to the floor, bowing her head. She escaped Russia, that was true, but now what was she supposed to do? She had no idea where to start. And she was sure that her uncle would still be looking for her. Cutting her hair shorter to look more like a boy would make it harder for him to find her, especially if she didn't turn to her mother's family, the Uesugi family, for help. They would turn her in on the spot if her uncle said she ran away.  
  
She was alone in this. She could turn to no one. A sudden pulse beside her, made Asuka turn her head. A bright light emerged from the duffle bag she brought, along with the little clothes and food she managed to buy with the money she, Hikaru, and the others managed to scourge up before leaving. For about five days, they would sneak out, pick pocketing or whatever they could to get the money for the tickets. Asuka wondered could her uncle have known then what was up, and only waited for them to stage their escape to act?  
  
Asuka opened her arms as an animal came to her side. The wolf that stood beside her lowered it flames so not to burn her, as it whined softly in hopes to ease her pain. She knew it could feel it, and she didn't want to burden the creature with worry for her, but she couldn't help it. She was almost 14 now having lost her brother and best friends to a man she was supposed to be able to trust.  
  
She wrapped her arms around it, crying into its fur while it tried to comfort her. "Figara...I miss the others so much. I don't know if I can do this by myself, please stay by my side, you and the others that I managed to escape with."  
  
This bit was supposed to have been her brother's. But since...the fire wolf bit chose her as its new master. Though it was a man made bit, it still held much compassion. Its brother bit, Wolborg remained in Russia, awaiting their return. Before Asuka left Russia, and the abbey, she managed to take with her three other bits that would come in handy for freeing the others when the time came.  
  
"I know we have to find a team I can train, but...I don't know if I can do it," Asuka admitted. Figara whined again, nudging its face to hers trying to assure her that everything will be fine. "I know that Hikaru believed in me, but can I really do this? Can I really put together a team that my brother will be proud of?" Figara whined as if with a yes before moving away from her. "You believe in me don't you? I guess that as long as you're by my side, nothing can happen."  
  
Asuka removed herself from the floor, turning on the faucet of the sink, and cupping her hands together. Splashing her face with the cold water, she looked into her reflection once more and smiled. She would do this she had to if she wanted to stop her uncle from hurting any more children. Figara went back into its bit, as Asuka picked up her bag, leaving the bathroom. Night had approached and she had yet to find a place to sleep.  
  
'I can always sleep in a shelter but...I don't want to chance anything. I wonder where I could find a really cheap hotel. I don't have much money left, but I'm sure that I can find some place. I managed to get away with the fact that my passport hasn't been updated recently, so I should be able to find a place to sleep without getting into trouble.'  
  
Walking out the restaurant with her bag in tow, the young girl walked down the street. Unlike Russia, the nighttime was always teeming with life of people clubbing, going to karaoke bars, and other such things. She wasn't worried, one of the only things that really came out of living in the abbey besides the friends she made, is that she was able to defend herself if ever attacked, unfortunately, those skills never came in handy when faced with her uncle or guards at times. The fear that seethed deep in the hearts of the children that was cultivated for that purpose only seemed to numb them with hopelessness when...  
  
Asuka shook her head clear. She wouldn't think about it now. She would outgrow the fear and save everyone. Now that Hikaru was gone, she was the only one left that could fight back for the younger children in the abbey. Even if Tala and Spencer were only younger than her by a year, she still felt so much older due to the weight she carried upon her shoulders.  
  
The young Russo-Japanese girl sighed as she headed down the street, aware of everything around her. It was a habit, especially within the abbey, you could never be too careful when a hand would grab you and shove you against a wall, taking from you what did not rightfully belong to them. And the only thing you could do was either cry, knowing that didn't work, screaming, fueling their desires more rather than calling help, or go numb and hope that they finished quickly. Struggling only got you hurt worse.  
  
"Stop struggling kid, I won't hurt you." Asuka's attention quickly fell upon an alley she was walking by. No one paid attention as they went about their business to the voices, but Asuka could not just simply walk away. Stopping, she peered into the alley, seeing a guy struggle with a kid of about eight or nine as he tried to pull the boy's pants down. "I just want a look at you."  
  
"Let me go!" cried the little boy. His short brown hair swept into his fearful blue eyes, raising a shiver of old memories within her. "Please, let me go!"  
  
"I told you I'm not going to hurt you, just do me this favor, okay. And I'll give you what you want," the male, probably in his thirties or forties, said. He was much taller than the boy. He had a knee pinned between the boy's small legs to keep his legs apart. Asuka clear noted his pants were down, as he rubbed against the boy's body.  
  
Asuka ran in low, dropping her bag and went in for the kill. The man did not notice he had attracted attention until a foot slammed into his side, tossing him away from the boy. His back hit the wall hard, causing him to gasp with pain. Asuka quickly slid in between the boy and the male that was slowly getting up. Raising her hands in front of her, she waited.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" the male growled. "That boy is my prey, stand down little girl or I'll take you next."  
  
"You fucking bastard," she screamed in Russian "I won't let you touch this boy as long as you live." The male looked at her as if she grew another head. With a sigh, she changed over her languages. "I'm not going to let you touch the boy."  
  
"You think you can stop me girl?" the male said, pulling out a knife.  
  
"Just try and attack me. You really want to die don't you?" Asuka shifted her eyes to the boy behind her. "Get out of here now. Go home kid."  
  
"I can't!" the boy whimpered.  
  
"Well just get the hell out of here then!" Asuka pushed him out the way as she dodged the knife, parrying behind the male and snapping his arm behind his back. Screaming in pain, he made an attempt to toss her off, but Asuka pulled his arm back further. "I swear to you I will snap it off if you try that again. I have the right nerve to kill you."  
  
"You think you can get away with this you little cunt, think again," laughed the male. "You're just a kid, you can't do—"A well-placed punch to the back of his skull shut him up and knocked him out. Releasing the male, she allowed him to drop to the ground. Looking down at him, she spit on him, and stepped over the body, going to pick up her duffel bag. Only then did her eyes fall on the boy watching her with amazement.  
  
"Do you know how dangerous it is for a kid your age to be out this late at night? Go home kid before you get yourself into trouble. Someone won't always be there to bail you out of situations. You're way too young to throw it all away now," Asuka stated. The boy looked down, tears springing into his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry...I just wanted to find mama and papa. They haven't been home in days, I thought that if I could go out and find them, I could get them to come back home," the boy cried. "I miss them so much I..."  
  
"Hey kid, where do you live?" Asuka said.  
  
"I stay...a few blocks from here," the boy answered.  
  
"Wipe your eyes, I'll walk you home," she said. There was no way she would leave him alone out on the streets like that.  
  
"Okay." Obeying her, the boy wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and took her hand as she led them out of the alley back into the nightlife of Japan. The girl was more than angry that no one bothered to question two kids out so late like this. She wondered if they even cared.  
  
"So kid, what's your name?" Asuka asked, looking down at the boy.  
  
"It's Maseo Tsutomo."  
  
"Mine is A—"she stopped, biting her lip. "It's Hikaru. Hikaru Uesugi." She would use that for a while. Maybe...maybe Hikaru really did make it out. Maybe if he came back to Japan and discovered that she was using his name and their mother's maiden name, he would find her. Then they could go through with their plans. "Would you mind telling me about your parents. Why haven't they been home in days?"  
  
"We are moving into a new house soon. Mama and papa said that there was some trouble moving our furniture into the new house, so they were going out for a while to make sure that everything was all right. They told me to watch the house until they got back. But...I haven't seen them since then," Maseo said.  
  
"They...." Asuka, or rather now Hikaru, turned her eyes on the boy. She couldn't believe what she heard. His parents had left him alone like that. She was certain they abandoned him, lying that they were moving into a new house when in fact they left him to die. "Maseo, did they leave you anything to eat?"  
  
"I ran out of bread five days ago," he answered. "When momma left, she promised she would pick up some food also."  
  
"You haven't eaten for five days?" Asuka stated. The little boy shook his head. Asuka turned her eyes away, knowing that they were filled with fury. "Maseo...there's something I want to say to you, okay."  
  
"What is it?" Maseo asked.  
  
"Have you ever seen what Hiroshima or Okinawa looks like in the fall?" she inquired.  
  
"No...why?" he asked.  
  
"Your parents are gone Maseo. They lied to you about things. I know it's hard to accept, but if you want...you can walk by my side for as long as you want. I'm going to see some of Japan and see what I can do. I can't guarantee that at times it won't be tight, but I can promise you that I will never leave you for anything. So...if you want to come along, you can," Asuka said.  
  
"You..."  
  
"I mean, if you really don't want to, then—"Her sentence was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping around her waist, Maseo crying into her shirt. Looking down, she smiled, guiding him away from his old memories and to a new life. And still no one bothered to see the two shining stars that found their way to each other that night. It was later that week that she gave him the earth based panther bit beast Tengara and started training him, healing a part of both their hearts.  
_  
----------------  
  
'I won't let you have him uncle.' Asuka thought to herself as she continued to run. 'I would trade my life for that boy. I promised him that he would never have anything to worry about as long as I'm with him, and I will keep that promise.' Rounding another corner, Asuka came face to face with the abbey she left behind. It still had a foreboding feeling about it, even now. It hadn't changed at all. She wondered...where within this place was the Demolition Boys now. Was Maseo in there somewhere also?  
  
Coming to a halt, she stared at the place. The voices came back to her. The orders, the sounds of the children training, the metal of beyblades clashing into each other, the pleas filling the halls of the abbey, the screams, and crying. All those sounds resonated back into her, as if two years never passed. As if she hadn't lived in Japan and met up with Maseo, Kira, and Rika, and that was just a dream, that the true reality was that she never left the abbey at all.  
  
"Well, look who it is. And it seems that you cut your hair short since I last saw you." Asuka froze up, turning wide eyes to find her uncle walking up with Maseo beside him. She quickly glanced over the boy, but found no indication her uncle had tried something.  
  
"Hikaru! You're here! I thought you were gone, but I was hoping that I would catch you before you left! I'm glad you decided to come see your brother too!" Maseo grinned, breaking from Boris's side to go to hers.  
  
"Maseo...you can stop that now," Asuka said. "What did he tell you?"  
  
"Hikaru?" Maseo frowned.  
  
"I didn't tell him anything he didn't need to hear, Asuka," Boris responded in Russian. The girl clenched her fists at her side.  
  
"Maseo...he told you what my name really is didn't he?" she inquired.  
  
"He said that he was your uncle and that your real name was Asuka and that Hikaru came from your brother. He also said that you abandoned your brother to go to Japan. Tell me it's not true," Maseo pleaded.  
  
"Maseo...there's a lot of things you don't understand about my past. It's true that I have a brother by the name of Hikaru. It's true that I used his name, that I started using my mother's maiden name. It's also true that I lived here a while ago, and that I went to Japan. It's true that he's my uncle, but it's not true I just abandoned my brother like that. It's a lie," Asuka stated. "There was a reason I had to leave him here."  
  
"I thought so! I knew you would never do something like that on purpose," Maseo said. "You should go tell your brother that. And I will come with you so you can tell him if he doesn't believe you!"  
  
"No," Asuka said.  
  
"Why not? I want to meet your brother too," Maseo said.  
  
"Maseo, it's getting late, you should go back to the hotel with the others I'll be back as soon as I finish talking to my brother and my uncle."  
  
"I'll have my driver—"Boris started a familiar glint in his eyes.  
  
"No!" Asuka interrupted immediately. She wasn't going to let him have the boy. "Maseo, will head back on foot. No need to put your driver into so much trouble. I'm having somebody meet up with him anyway."  
  
"You're going to let such a young boy walk back all by himself, Asuka, that would be irresponsible of his team captain, don't you think so?" Boris countered. "Why don't you allow me to provide him—?"  
  
"I said no uncle!" Asuka remarked. "Thank you for your hospitality, but he's not a child. He can walk back by himself, right Maseo?" She looked down at the boy, hoping he would get the hint and say he would.  
  
"I—I guess I can. I mean you won't be too long will you?" Maseo questioned.  
  
"No, I won't." Asuka smiled, her heart breaking into pieces knowing that there was no way she would be able to leave now. She didn't want to force him to stand on his own two feet so soon, but that's what she had to do. If she was going to keep him safe from her uncle, she was going to have to break promises to save his innocence.  
  
"You know it would be rude for the boys not to see the reason you left them abandoned," Boris said in Russian. "That night you left, you know that Tala cried himself to sleep in my arms. It took so long to console the boy. It would be a shame if they weren't allowed to meet Maseo."  
  
"I swear if you try to lay one hand on him," she started in Russian.  
  
"You'll what girl?" Boris remarked. "I know where they are. I can bring him back whenever I want."  
  
"Asuka..." Maseo tugged on her shirt, gathering her attention once more. She blinked, looking down at him.  
  
"Gomen nasai, Seo-kun. My uncle was just telling me some things. Go ahead and go back. I'm sure that Rika and Kira are worried sick about you, you little gaki. Go ahead and tell them I'm all right." Asuka ruffled his hair, smiling at him with a smile that she wondered would be her last.  
  
"Okay." Maseo watched her look at her uncle, staring at him as if making a stand. Turning to Boris, he bowed to the male. "It was a pleasure meeting you sir. I should be getting back now."  
  
"It's quite all right. My niece only wants the best for you, so I understand. I hope we can meet again soon, Maseo," Boris smiled as the boy left.  
  
Maseo wondered if they got along, which was why she didn't want to have him discover her. And what about the scene back at the stadium. Was he a violent person? Was that why she didn't want to come back? But he seemed like such a nice person when Maseo was riding with him. In fact, the older male shared a lot of things with Maseo about being afraid to see her again because he truly was sad when she left.  
  
When the boy was gone, she turned her eyes fully on her uncle. He hadn't changed at all. Nothing about him had. "You know, Asuka, the boy was very beautiful." Asuka's eyes widened, realizing he said the entire thing not in Russian but in Japanese. "Are you surprised that I know the language. I am well versed in many languages, English, Japanese, Latin, German a few others also. You gave yourself away at the stadium. Your accent...I could hear your Russian accent despite the Japanese."  
  
"You knew...even then..."  
  
"Foolish girl, did you think that I wouldn't notice how afraid you were. How hesitant you tried not to be. You are my lamb and the Shepard always remembers what their lambs are like. You and Hikaru, my most prized lambs of all." Boris walked up to the girl, studying her. "You still look exactly like him."  
  
"Hikaru...where's Hikaru?" Asuka asked. "Is he really?"  
  
"Such hopeful eyes to see your brother. I guess I couldn't blame you. Especially because he was all you had left, am I right, niece?" Boris lifted her face, staring into her hope tinged eyes. "But I don't know if he is or not. My mind is currently occupied by..."  
  
"Please, leave Maseo out of this," she pleaded. "I will give my life for that boy's. He shouldn't be taught like this. Please don't uncle, please just leave him alone, I beg you."  
  
"Does he mean that much to you? Him and the others that you formed bonds with do they mean that much to you? You know I can kill them as easily as I could kill you, Tala, and the others. With a snap of my fingers, I could make sure they laid in a pool of blood before you ever got to see them again," Boris sneered.  
  
"Please," Asuka whimpered.  
  
"Promise me then," Boris whispered cruelly in her ear. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he pulled her face up until she stared him directly in his cold gray eyes. She felt the tears travel down the crevices of her face, dribbling down her chin.  
  
"Please," she choked, as he yanked her hair more. "I beg you with all my life. I promise, uncle, I promise that I will never run away from the family again. I promise that my life is yours to do with however you want. Just leave Maseo, Kira, and Rika out of this! They don't know! They don't know anything!"  
  
"But you gave them three of Biovolt's bit beasts, they can become easily involved if I choose so."  
  
"They didn't do anything wrong. Please, I beg you on my entire soul that I won't leave again. You have my life, isn't that enough? Let that be enough uncle, please let that be all you need. I promise you, just please!"  
  
"You swear to me on your life that you won't try a stunt like that again?" Boris said, dragging her by her hair towards the doors of the abbey. Asuka half stumbled, half walked with him.  
  
"I swear to you on my parent's grave if that's what you want, uncle. Just please, please don't hurt Maseo, Kira, and Rika."  
  
The doors of the abbey opened for the male, as he flung his niece to the ground. She looked up, finding the doors closing and Boris standing over her as if he was the devil. An evil smirk rose to his lips as the doors closed all the way. Her path that led to freedom, once more closed as she returned to hell. "Welcome home then, Asuka."  
  
----------------------------------  
  
Rimnerel: Yay! I finally updated with all my stories to write!  
  
Tala: You're the one that wants to take on all of them.  
  
Rimnerel: Oh shut up! Well, okay, I guess I should go. You all know the routine by now. I leave, you review, I remember to update some time from now. Later!


	4. A Price For Friendship

Author's Note: I would just like to thank everyone whose reviewed and I appreciate everything guys! I shall now continue with this story now.

* * *

Asuka looked up at her uncle as he stood over her. Silence wrapped around her, she was afraid to move, to speak, or even breathe. She was back amongst the shadows of her past. All because of one little boy and two girls she met over the past two years. No, she had no right to blame them for her being in this situation. The only person she had to blame for the pain this place brought her was the man standing over her, glaring down at her as if she were seven once more.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything, Asuka? It's been two years since I last saw you. You've grown quite a bit since you were fourteen," Boris smirked as he walked over to her. He watched her back up until she was pressed against a wall. Her eyes remained on him. "Do I still scare you?"

"Uncle..." Asuka could see the glint in his eyes, knowing that he was going to hurt her.

"What's wrong Asuka, are you afraid of your uncle? I still have that much of a hold on you? How many of your dreams are filled with me?" The male pulled the girl to her feet. Staring her directly in the eyes, watching the fear crawl to the surface. "How many times did you wake up screaming in terror?"

The girl only whimpered, unable to speak. It was always like this, never able to stand up to her uncle. All she could do was pray and hope things would be over quickly, rather than have him carry things out. He tended to find more pleasure in tormenting her slowly when he felt in the mood.

There was a time when she was nine that he wanted to teach her a lesson in disobeying his rules. So he tied her hands behind her back, taking pleasure whipping her until the whelps bled, then adding insult to the pain by having Hikaru apply alcohol to the wounds, only if the boy tried to go easy on his sister, he would also receive a lashing. The rest of the night she spent to herself, nursing her wounds and tears she refused to show the others.

"Asuka," Boris whispered into her ear, pushing her against the wall more. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to become numb of her surroundings. That was probably the true reason Boris was more determined than any other reason to never let her go. Unlike the others in the abbey, her spirit yet to submit to his power. No matter how afraid she was of him, that did not mean that she was completely in his power, it only meant that she reacted to a natural stimulate, which was the fear induced actions inflicted on her. "Answer me girl."

"Yes...uncle..." she said eventually.

"Look at me," he demanded. Asuka continued to keep her eyes closed, refusing to stare at him. With a low growl, he smacked the girl across the face. "Don't make me have to teach you another lesson girl, look at me." Her eyes popped open, staring at him with wide eyes. "Did you really think you would be able to escape from me for long? Did you really think I couldn't have found you if I really wanted to?"

"Then why let get go this long?" Asuka said. "If you could find me in the beginning, why didn't you just come get me. I doubt you could." The remark cost her another slap, Boris glaring into her eyes with amusement.

"There's the little girl that I raised. Always the one that questions my word, but I don't blame you. You are curious to why you went so long without my guidance? It's simple enough. I knew you would come back to me. There was no way you could stay away so long without asking yourself about Tala and the others. You know, a while ago Kai came back to. He looked so disappointed and lost when he found you weren't here. I had to comfort him too. You should have seen the look on his face as I took him like when he was a child," Boris chuckled. "He cried out your name, you know that. He wouldn't stop crying it out until I was finished. And then he just laid there, sobbing in my arms until he fell asleep."

"Shut up!" Asuka said. "I don't want to hear anymore!"

"Oh, but that's not the whole story. Those few days that he was here, we spent many nights in each other's arms. He got to the point where he allowed me to do what I want. He would give himself to me completely. Just like Tala does."

"Stop it! Just shut up!" Asuka screamed. How could she leave those boys to suffer at her uncle's hands like this?

"Oh, touchy are we?" Boris smirked. "You know, you can still escape if you want it that bad. I would have given it to you, all you had to do was ask me, niece." Boris wrapped his hands around her neck, enclosing them slowly, cutting off her oxygen. Asuka gasped, her hands involuntarily reaching up to pry Boris's hands from around her neck. He lifted the girl up the wall more, reveling in the fear shining in her eyes.

The girl felt her lungs slowly burning from less and less oxygen she was receiving by the minute. Her feet continued to thrash, as she tried freeing herself from his grasp. Her vision soon became dotted with spots, dimming with each passing minute. "Hi...karu..." Her hands finally fell away from trying to free her neck from her uncle's grasp.

"I still have use for you, so I won't kill you just yet," Boris whispered in her ear as he let her fall to the floor. Asuka fell on her hands and knees, coughing from the assault. She felt nauseous, maybe ready to throw up. Raising her eyes to the male standing over her, she found he was still smirking. Enjoying what he was doing to her. "There are several individuals who would love to see you."

"What about Hikaru? Is he alive?" Asuka inquired.

"Oh yes, your questions always come back to your brother. If you want an answer than come along." The male yanked her to her feet, pulling her deeper into the abbey. Was it really true? Was her brother really alive?

"Uncle, tell me, tell me if it's really true? Is he really alive? Is my brother really alive?" Asuka asked, as the male dragged her deeper into the abbey. The male looked down at her, with amusement. "Please, tell me if it's true!"

"You really want to know if he's alive?" A cruel smile curled the male's lips as he continued to pull the girl deeper into the abbey. She half stumbled, half walked down the dark, long corridors leading away from the rest of the abbey. She realized, after minutes, that he was leading her up the stairs away from the rest of the quarters the children in the abbey had. She remembered she, Tala, Kai, and Bryan hiding from their daily training in this area. It was off limits except to her uncle and a few others.

Asuka's heart pounded in her chest as her uncle led her down the hall to one of the rooms. Was it really true? Was he really alive? Boris took out a key from his pocket, putting it in the key hold and turning the key. It opened easily, as the male pushed the door open. The room was lit with low lamps that created a lazy air despite where she was. The room was finely furnished with many expensive things.

Asuka's eyes panned over the room, until it finally rested on the large, four post canopy bed near a wall by the curtained window. Her green eyes widened, tears streaking down her face as Boris released his grip on her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was really true.

Sitting on the canopy bed, cushioned by many large silken blue, black, and crimson pillows, was a young man with long waist length plum colored hair braided into a loose ponytail reading a book quietly. Occasionally he would reach up and brush aside a wayward lock or bang.

"Hikaru!" Asuka broke from her uncle's side to run up to the male, wrapping her arms around him when she reached his side. "Hikaru, I thought you were dead! I've missed you so much!" Everything was going to be all right now. She had her brother, and nothing could dissuade her now.

"Who are you?" Hikaru said as he pushed the girl away from him. His brown eyes glared at the girl that had toppled to the floor from the hard shove. Sprawled on the floor, Asuka stared bewildered at her brother.

"Hikaru...don't you remember me? It's me," Asuka said.

"I don't know you girl," the boy sneered, before looking up and realizing Boris accompanied the girl in the room. His eyes lit up with excitement as he got off the bed, running over to the male. Asuka turned her head watching as Hikaru wrapped his arms around the male in an affectionate hug.

"Hikaru, you're lively today, how have you been?" Boris asked, stroking the boy's hair gently. Hikaru rubbed his head against the male's hand, seeming happy to be near the male. A man that cause him and Asuka so much pain, she wondered what happened? What changed his opinion of the male, and why did he look at her as if she was trash?

"I've been here all day, you know that! I thought you would never come back!" Hikaru chimed. For a second, he kept up with the affectionate act before turning cold, but curious eyes upon Asuka. "Whose this girl?"

"This...girl..." Asuka didn't know what to think about this. "Hikaru...it's me..."

"Hikaru, remember the girl that I told you about when you were recovering? This is the girl," Boris whispered, slipping his hand down the boy's body, gripping his waist lightly. "That is Asuka, your sister."

"My...sister..." Hikaru's eyes filled with hatred and disgust, a look that use to be directed towards their uncle. "She's the one that left me to die before you took me in."

"Hikaru! Whatever he told you isn't true! That day...that day we were going to escape and..." Asuka struggled to keep her voice from trembling, but without success. Why was this happening?

"Enough with your excuse!" Hikaru snapped. "I don't want to hear them. You left me to die in the cold. I was beat and raped without mercy. It wasn't you that was there when I cried and needed help, it was Boris."

"You see Asuka, when you left him here, the guards decided to take matters into their own hands. You were usually here to stop them, but since you fled like a coward, it was open season for them. When I finally discovered what was going on, seven of them had already had their turns on him. He almost died you know, while you were on way back to Japan without him. His mind was so gone I had to remind him of trickles of the past. He was so grateful to be under protection, he will do anything I ask of him. Isn't that right, Hikaru?" Boris lifted the young man's face up with his other hand, Hikaru not resisting the male's touch at all.

"Anything you wish of me, my master," Hikaru murmured as Boris kissed him on the lips.

"You lying bastard! How dare you!" Getting up from where she was seated on the floor, Asuka ran towards the male with anger. Hikaru broke out of the kiss, turning around to smack the girl away from him. Asuka stumbled back, hitting the floor again. Sitting up, she gaped at Hikaru, being that he had never raised his hand to her in their entire lives. This couldn't be her brother. But...it was...

"Stay away from me! I don't want you trying to save me! I'm happier without you in my life. I think this world is better without your presence in it," Hikaru spat, wrapping his arms around Boris, looking up at the older male. "Isn't that right master Boris?"

"Now, now Hikaru. I...still have a use for her," Boris replied, leaning down to kiss the boy's neck. His eyes burned into Asuka's for a long second. Seeing the slow crumble of foundation that her strength and will were built on. It would not take long for her to break down under the pressure and submit to him finally.

"Hi...karu..." Asuka looked down, her eyes wide with tears. What could she do now? He was alive...her brother was alive but he didn't remember the real truth. He hated her because Boris lied and manipulated his feelings while her brother was still vulnerable. Now he hated her, the very foundation of her power was the brother she had always looked to for guidance. While in Japan, he had always been her real reason for continuing when the darkness wanted to consume her.

But now...she did not know what she could do. She needed to have him tell her they would all escape. That he would be there for her and nothing would come between them. How was she supposed to go on now? Her uncle just turned her one true source of power against her. If she couldn't find a way to bring him back, she would surely crumble in no time.

* * *

Maseo walked down the street lit by lampposts, his eyes occasionally looking behind him to see if Asuka would run up behind him with a huge grin on her face. Even a frown would be a welcomed sight, as long as she came back. For some reason, Maseo was getting the feeling that the teen would not be returning. It was just a feeling in his stomach, but it felt real. That she would stay at that place forever.

"Maybe I should have stayed with her. Maybe I'll go get Kira and Rika and we can go back and get her," Maseo said to himself.

Her uncle wouldn't really tell her she couldn't come back to her team, would he? He didn't seem like as bad a person as Asuka made him seem. Her uncle had been nothing but polite and respectful to Maseo on the way to the abbey. His smile put Maseo at ease. He even told Maseo about that incident at the stadium with smacking the captain of the Demolition Boys. How he was just upset that the boys lost and lashed out unexpectedly. That later once he calmed down, he apologized to the young man for the blow.

"It doesn't make sense why she would be afraid of him then?" Maseo frowned, kicking a clump of snow out of his way. What scared her so much? There was a huge piece of the puzzle he was missing. "I don't understand what I'm not seeing."

"Hey kid."

"Huh?" Maseo looked up to find a young man with light blue bangs and dark blue hair looking at him. The male had two blue triangles on each cheek, his auburn eyes studying Maseo for a long minute.

"Is your name Maseo?" the dual haired male asked him.

"Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Maseo asked cautiously.

"My name is Kai Hiwatari," the young man stated.

"From the Bladebreakers team?" Maseo blinked.

"Asuka told me to take you somewhere safe," Kai said.

"Where's she now? Is she still at that place with her uncle? Is that guy really her uncle! And what about her brother? How do you know her?" Questions blurted from Maseo's lips. He had to know the answers. What was going on? Why was this occurring? "Tell me, why is this happening? What is it about this place that scares her?"

Kai looked down at the boy, realizing why Asuka wanted to protect this boy so much. If he was exactly like Hikaru, maybe not in appearance, but in spirit. When Hikaru and Asuka first came to the abbey when they were six and seven, everything was fine for them...well...for Asuka. Kai knew that on one or two occasions Boris lusted after his nephew. One time Kai caught Boris groping the young boy who was made to sit in his uncle's lap.

When Asuka finally discovered what was going on, she found that it wasn't happening to just Kai and the others, but her own brother, she made the decision to watch over everyone. Which included her brother. Despite the fact he was older than her by two years, she was always the one to protect him, instead of the other way around. After the death of their parents, Hikaru was very sensitive about most things. Submitting easily to the commands and orders of others.

"I grew at that abbey with her and her brother, Hikaru," Kai said.

"So, she did take up her brother's name."

"But it was for a good reason."

"But why is she so afraid of that place?" Maseo questioned.

"We should get going?" Kai changed the subject. There was no reason he should know that secret he, Asuka, and the others carried. "Come on."

"What about Asuka? We can't just leave her there! We should go meet up with her," Maseo declared.

"That's absolutely out of the question," Kai said, not bothering to explain. "She told me to get you to safety, I'm going to do it."

"So we're just going to let her stay there? What if she doesn't come back?" Maseo exclaimed. Kai didn't say anything, which made Maseo even more upset than he already was. "I'm not going to leave her there, if she doesn't plan to come back! I'll go back myself and get her." Maseo was about to turn and head back to the abbey when Kai grabbed his shoulder. Auburn eyes stared directly into blue eyes.

"Asuka just risked her life for you, don't throw that away. She promised to come back. She told me that she would do everything in her power to."

"So, she's abandoned me, is that what you're saying?" Maseo said, clenching his fists at his side. His blue eyes smoldered with anger. Kai didn't blame him. If he was in the boy's predicament, he would probably be just as pissed he found out that someone he trusted up and left, with the prospect that she would never come back, without him knowing the full truth.

"She's always keeps her promises, you don't have to worry about her," Kai said more to himself than Maseo. Just like when she promised to help him after that incident with Black Dranzer. The pain from that incident put him at unrest for weeks on end, tormenting him with the memory of what happened.

{Flashback}

"_Kai, I want you to listen to me, okay?" Twelve-year-old Asuka sat in front of Kai, brushing the damp locks of blue from out of his teary eyes. He was just waking up from another nightmare, induced by the memory of trying to control Black Dranzer's power. Black Dranzer, the ultimate beyblade that her uncle's team of scientist made. The blade that was suppose to be unrivalled by any other blade out there. She should have kept a better eye on him when he snuck off to give the blade a test run._

_The experience left him not only shaken, but he was slowly tearing apart from the psychological trauma dealt. Asuka sighed, knowing that if she didn't do something soon, he would stop responding to her completely. Asuka wiped the tears from his eyes, turning his face upwards so he could stare into her eyes._

"_Kai...you can forget it all, you know that, don't you? You don't have to remember any of it. Not even me if you must," she whispered. "I could take that, as long as you returned to normal." The boy continued not to respond to her, he just stared into her eyes. "It's okay Kai, no one will blame you for forgetting."_

"_Asuka..." he whimpered._

"_I know Kai, you don't have to remain here in Russia. I haven't told Hikaru or the others yet, but I have enough money to make it for a while in Japan. I plan on going back there one day. I know uncle won't allow me to go freely, so I made a plan," Asuka said. "But...I want you to take the money. I can get you as far as the boat that I know is heading to Japan in two weeks. If you really want to be free, I will give you everything I have to go."_

"_Asuka..."_

"_I know that you're uncertain about what you'll do when you get there. But I believe you will be able to make it. You're special Kai, you may not think it, but I know you can survive on your own. I promise, if you go, I know you can make it without Tala, Hikaru, or I. So, you want to see Japan in the fall and summer? I'm sure that the weather is beautiful this time around," Asuka grinned at the boy who continued to cry. "Hey, everything will be all right, I promise you that."_

{Flashback ends}

As always, she was right. She helped me leave, and all I could do was forget the past. She made sure that I got on that boat, while who knew what Boris did to her. Kai thought. But, what was he suppose to do now. She would never allow him to go back and help her. He was helpless to help the girl that was like a sister to him.

"Tell me something," Maseo whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears.

"What?" Kai said, looking up from his thoughts.

"Is she...ever coming back to me? She promised me after my parents abandoned me, that she would always be there for me. Tell me, will she come back?" Maseo's eyes shimmered with hope.

"Do you believe in her?" Kai inquired.

"Of course I do!" Maseo stated. "I believe in her with my entire heart, but this...it's made me so unsure of her...of what she's told me. She lied about her name, she's hid her past from her closest friends, how can I believe her now?"

"She had her reasons."

"Which were?" Maseo demanded. "I have a right to know. I mean Hikaru...no...Asuka kept it from me, from everyone that cares about her. Is Asuka really her name? She's told me a lie already, is her name really..."

"Her full name is Asuka Balcov," Kai remarked.

"Then where did Uesugi come from? Is it just something she made up?"

"Why do you insist to ask so many questions? Why is it so important to you?" Kai stated.

"She's my best friend, she's like the sister I never had. Of course I want to know everything about her! So does Kira and Rika too! We hardly know anything about her past or family. All we know now is that she has an uncle and a brother."

"That's more than enough then."

"No it isn't! I want to know her! Everything about her! Tell me!"

"Come on," Kai said, pulling the boy along with him, not bothering to answer that last demand made of him.

For a second, the boy resisted, then gave in, tired of asking questions he wasn't getting answers to. This was for the best Maseo just didn't know it right at the moment. Nor did he realize that this did not mean she cared any less for him. If anything, it showed she loved him almost as much as she did him, Tala, and the others at the abbey.

Asuka...I know you promised to come back, but... but do you really think that Boris will let you go now that he has you in his hands once more? How are you going to escape this time? He looked up at the sky, praying that everything would turn out right this time around.


	5. A Price For Strength

Rim: Okay, here's the next chapter. I seriously have to find time to write chapter seven or when I finally get to it, I won't have anything to give you guys. But thanks for being patient. The rating will change from here on out.

------------------ooooooooo---------------------

After Boris led Asuka to her brother, finding out that he lost his memory, not remembering all the hardships that they faced together, which was slowly eating at her spirit, Boris led her out of the room. Taking her down the stairs to another place. Asuka continued to look down, hurt that she was forgotten, that their bond was forgotten. Boris stared at the girl, locating the distraught in her face immediately.

"Maybe it was better that you didn't know Hikaru was alive," Boris said with amusement. "That boy has a way with words sometimes. Must be something inherited, what do you think, Asuka?"

She refused to answer him, to acknowledge that her brother...her brother was... No, she wasn't going to say a word. No matter what he did to her, or said, she was going to remain silent. Buy her time until she could find a way to free not only herself and the Demolition Boys, but Hikaru also. She would make him remember the truth, and together they would leave this place forever and make the sort of life they always dreamt about.

"Oh, you don't want to answer that I see. I suppose it was a bit much for you," he said coolly, his tone angering her minute by minute, until she couldn't take it. She turned to him, her eyes hard with hate. Boris stopped, noticing the change in the girl.

"Damn you to hell!" she shouted. "I will kill you for what you did to Hikaru. You didn't find him being raped by the guards you probably allowed them to, while watching until you saw that he wasn't crying out anymore! Admit it! Admit that you allowed them to do this to him!"

"My you have such a temper. I see I will have to teach you a lesson girl." Before Asuka could move, Boris grabbed her, shoving the girl into a wall. Asuka cried out, feeling pain crawl from her left temple, which had connected with the wall from the blow, to her eye. Trying to blink away the pain, she became aware of an acute pain in her back causing her much discomfort. It was only when another blow came that she realized that it was her uncle's fist.

Asuka struggled to move, to get from other those heavy blows with no success. Pain was splintering down her spine into her legs as another blow caught her in the small of her back. Asuka whimpered, collapsing to the ground when Boris moved away from her. Looking up, she stared at him, the look of anger gone completely.

"Get up girl. I'm not done with you yet," Boris sneered.

"Why...why must you do this to us?" Asuka whispered, holding back the tears that wanted to fall.

"Asuka, get up."

"Why? What have we done to be treated like this? We trusted you? When I first met you...I thought you would love us in return. We just lost our parents. We were vulnerable and you brought us to this place. Why?" Asuka questioned.

"Get up!" Boris yanked the girl to her feet, shoving her down the hall to keep moving. Asuka stumbled for a second, falling with not only pain, but with unwillingness to go on. Boris, seeing that she was going to be uncooperative, stormed up to her, yanking her up once more. "I thought I told you to get up. You want me to hit you again, don't you?"

"No..."

"Then walk," Boris snapped.

"No..."

"Damn little bitch!" Boris tossed her away from him, the girl hitting the ground again. "I suppose you think that being stubborn will stop me from getting anything done? You think you're so smart to buy yourself time to come up with a plan of escape, but you forget who I am girl."

"I just want to know why?" Asuka whispered, sitting up, her eyes turned to the floor.

"I don't need a reason for what I do. But I know one thing you are taking responsibility for your actions. I realize something today when the Demolition Boys lost the championship, costing me a great deal of money with associates of mine," Boris said, standing in front of the girl. "It wasn't because I did something wrong, in fact, if I remember correctly, you were the one that trained each and every one of them."

"I..." It was true, she did spend her time, both she and Hikaru spent time training the boys in hope of pleasing their uncle. So he would leave the boys alone.

"You did everything for those boys. They obeyed your every command. But then you left and Hikaru lost his memory, so they had no one to turn to, expect for me. You know that their lost is a reflection of what you taught them, and I intend to make an example out of not only you, but your Demolition Boys."

"What?" This time, Asuka looked up at her uncle. She realized what he was saying, and realizing that she was spending so much time worrying about her brother that...her uncle could be doing anything to Tala, Spencer, Bryan, and Ian, those four boys equally as important to her as her own blood brother.

"Ah, do I finally have your attention girl?" Boris said.

"Where are they? What are you doing to them?" Asuka said.

"Why do you care about them now? I thought Hikaru was the most important thing to you?" Boris raised a brow to her.

"Hikaru is important to me, but they mean so much to me too," Asuka declared.

"You weren't thinking that moments ago. Your mind was filled with Hikaru and that pathetic excuse of a team you put together after leaving us. Just admit that you don't care about them as much as you think you do?" Boris smirked.

"That's not true! I love those boys like a family. We've been through so much. Much more than my team, and I admit that I became preoccupied, but that's only because..."

"You don't care as much," Boris finished the sentence.

"No! It's because I don't know what to think. Everything is happening so fast..."

"Well, while you're in such indecision, do you realize that your boys are taking the full weight of your failure? I would have thought they were your first priority, especially back at the stadium. Do you realize they didn't know it was you? I haven't told them yet either. How do you think they are going to react when they discover that you're back here in the abbey and didn't want to see them? To comfort them because they are worthless little bastards that I should have known better than but my money in," Boris snarled.

"Take me to them," Asuka said quietly.

"Oh, so now you want to see them."

"Take me to them now...uncle." She ignored his tone of voice, knowing that fighting with him was only going to get her hit even more. "Please...take me to them."

"You want to see them, fine." Asuka got up from the ground, wincing with pain for a second then following the male down the dimly lit corridors. The sounds of their footsteps echoing in the halls, falling silent then replaced by more sounds. The sounds of whimpering started filling the space that footsteps filled, bouncing off the walls echoing in Asuka's ears. Asuka's stomach knotted, knowing those sounds well. Taking off down the hall, Asuka followed the sounds until she came on the scene she feared.

About seven guards were beating the four boys with clubs. The boys doing their best not to cry out, but the pain was too much for them. She didn't realize she was standing there, paralyzed, as the boys were being beat until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she found her uncle, watching with the scene with a sick fascination. Tearing herself away from his touch, she walked up to the guards, who paused in the action of inflicting pain on the already halfway unconscious Demolition Boys.

"Leave them alone," Asuka stated, her eyes cold as she stared at each guard.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" one of the guards said before she walked up and smacked him. He was about to raise his club to her, but was held back by another guard that quickly recognized that she was Boris's niece. "What? Why are you stopping me? That little bitch..."

"That's Director Balcov's niece," the other guard whispered. "We can't touch her unless he tells us otherwise."

The guard growled, lowering his club as Asuka walked to the cowering boys. She didn't want to do this in front of her uncle or anyone else, she just wanted to hug and comfort them, but he wouldn't let them get off the hook otherwise. If there was one thing she knew about her uncle, he wanted a show, and if he didn't get one, there would be dire consequences for it.

"Tala...Spencer...Bryan...Ian, stand up." Her voice was neutral, Asuka using everything she could to stay strong. This would pain her more than it did them. She watched the four boys lift their eyes up, shock and fear glazing their eyes over when they realized who it was.

"Asuka," Tala said.

She closed her eyes, not wanting to respond to that voice. That would be exactly what her uncle wanted from her. Instead, she took a deep breath and spoke again. "I said stand up." It was painful listening to them whimper in pain as they followed her instructions. She opened her eyes, seeing them all on their feet. "You lost the tournament."

"You...saw..."

"Yes, I saw it. I saw Bryan's defeat and Tala's. I taught you boys myself. I taught you with everything I had. I thought you wouldn't be able to lose," she said, staring at each of them. "I should have done more."

"It's not your fault, Asuka!" Ian cried. "We should have trained harder."

"Ian's right, it's our fault, not yours," Bryan added in. "You did your best, we screwed up on our end. There's no reason that—"

"Shut up! All of you!" Asuka said, clenching her hands at her sides. "I don't want those excuses. It's my fault! It's my fault that I wasn't here to make sure that you won. It's my fault that you lost the match. It's my fault that...that you're being beat for it." Asuka lowered her head, breathing heavily. "I wasn't good enough to do what I said. I promised you that you would never be beaten if you followed me...but you have. I fell through on it. It's my fault of such overconfidence on my end. I'm sorry."

"Asuka! It's not your fault! Stop saying it!" Tala shouted. "It's not your fault, it's mine! I'm team captain I was supposed to make certain that we were able to do this. My battle meant everything for the team, and I failed! Not you, me! I should take the blame more than anyone else. Me, not you."

"So, the boy wants to take the blame of this?" her uncle spoke up.

"No! He doesn't! He doesn't know what he's talking about!" Asuka whirled around to stare at her uncle. His eyes were on Tala, that familiar look of want flaring in his eyes. No...she couldn't let it happen again. She wasn't about to let him have that young man like that. "Uncle, don't listen to him."

"He is right about one thing. He is their team captain. It was his responsible to win the match once Bryan lost to that boy. So, by technicality, it is his fault and he deserves to be punished for it. Tala, come here," Boris stated.

"God no, uncle, please don't do this! I beg of you not to," Asuka said.

"Oh, don't worry, you shall still take responsibility for what has happened, my niece. You don't have to worry your pretty little head about it. Now come here Tala." The boy froze up, his eyes widening before turning them to Asuka. She couldn't do anything, not now.

"Go to him...Tala," she ordered. Closing her eyes, she heard him slowly shuffling towards the male. The pit of her stomach filled with revulsion for what was to come of him. Why? Why was it that every time it was her uncle doing this, her hands were tied?

"Guards, do what you want with those whelps, but you are not allowed to rape my niece. That honor will be mine when I finally rip down the walls of her spirit. I have other...business to attend to right now. Come along Tala," Boris said, guiding the teen from his friends. Asuka stood in place, her feet practically glued to the floor hearing the men approach.

"Now I can get you back for that blow you little whore," the guard she had hit early smirked as he walked up to her. "Too bad Director Balcov told us we couldn't touch you. I would have given you a reason to cry, little girl."

"Leave her alone!" Bryan and Spencer moved in the way of the guard, their eyes full of anger.

"Move out of the way, you little bastards!" the guard growled, raising his club to them. The two males braced themselves for the blow.

----------oooooo-----------

"Hey, whose the kid?" Rei looked down at the little boy that Kai brought to the hotel, sitting him in a chair while he used the phone. Rei looked up at Kai who just got off the phone.

"His name is Maseo," Kai said. "I'm watching him for a while." This, of course, surprises the rest of the Bladebreakers. Usually when asking Kai something, it took the jaws-of-life to get it out of him. Rei and the others looked at Kai, then the little boy with dark blue eyes seated in a chair far from the rest of them. His knees were drawn to his chest, as he wrapped his arms around his legs, his head on his knees.

"Hey, little dude, you okay?" Tyson walked up to the kid. The boy didn't move from his position nor responded to Tyson.

"Leave him alone, Tyson," Kai warned.

"What's wrong with him?" Tyson inquired. Kai didn't say a word. "Come on! First you leave all of a sudden after that girl speaks with you then you come back with some kid. What's going on? Did that girl tell you to watch him? Maybe we can help if we knew what's up?"

Kai looked away, his thoughts on Asuka. "There's nothing anyone can do, except wait." The problem was out of his hands. If there were something he could do for her, he would have done it a long time ago. There was no one he would trust with that secret so close to his heart. From the corner of his eyes, Kai saw Maseo draw up more. The little boy's body quavering with tears he silently shed.

"She's like my parents! She's not going to come back! She's abandoned me too. She promised me that...I could...I could stay by her side! She promised me!" Maseo wailed.

"Stop this Maseo," Kai said, his voice tinged with anger. Upset that this kid was going on like...like he was some spoiled brat. "You're acting like a spoiled child who can't have their way all the time."

"Leave me alone! You act like you know how I feel! You don't understand my life or the pain that I've endured!" Maseo shouted.

"What pain have you endured that could possibly be worst than her past? So what if your parents abandoned you? It happens everyday, get over it. She found you, took you in, you have nothing to worry about. You have no idea that what you think is suffering others would give their lives to be in your shoes. Your hardships are laughable and childish. If you grew up like she did, you would have killed yourself the first night there, so don't talk to me about pain being endured. Because you don't know the meaning behind the word," Kai snapped.

Maseo's face scrunched up as he let everything go. Wailing like he was five years old once again. "Way to go Mr. Personality!" Tyson said, trying to calm down the boy. Anger in his voice directed at Kai. "What did you have to do that for? He was already upset, you just made things worst."

Kai crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't care how much the boy cried, he had no right to say that Kai didn't know what pain was. Every day at that abbey was a struggle to live another day. To keep from being beat, or raped, or going insane. Asuka took the full weight of the pain of others, refusing to complain or ask for help to lighten her load. Each child in that abbey she cared for, fought for, and was beat for. He couldn't help retort at that childish egotism.

A minute later, Mr. Dickenson, Tyson's father and grandfather, and Judy entered the room. The four adults stared at the boy then the other Bladebreakers for answers. All eyes went to Kai who stood by the window looking outside, his eyes watching for something.

"What's going on?" Judy questioned, going to Maseo's side. "Whose this boy?"

"His name is Maseo. Don't look at us, ask Kai about him," Tyson said. "He's the one that sent the little guy bawling his eyes out."

"Kai?" Mr. Dickenson questioned.

"I don't want to discuss it," Kai muttered.

"He yelled at the kid like he was going off on one of us," Tyson said. "The kid's already had a hard time with whatever's going on also."

"Who hasn't?" Kai snapped. He could feel the anger and pain rising from its dormant sleep. He had to calm himself down, there was no point breaking in front of them. "Do you think he ever thought about what Asuka went through? About her pain and shadows? Do you think he ever considered the sort of pain she went through. That she cared for others?" Kai lowered his head, feeling the tears in the back of his eyes.

"What do you know about that girl?" Rei asked. He noticed the change in Kai, but didn't say a word towards it.

"She stayed at that place with that man," Maseo sniffed. "She's not coming back...ever..."

"What man?" Mr. Dickenson asked Kai. Kai kept his mouth shut, forcing the tears back, knowing that nothing the man could do, could help Asuka and the Demolition Boys. She wanted to do this on her own, and though he was against it, Kai knew she had to prove something to herself. "Kai?"

"You have to tell us what's going on," Tyson's father said. "We can't help her if she's in some type of trouble."

"You can't do anything to help. Asuka wants to do this on her own. She has to. She promised...she made a promise that everything will be fine," Kai started.

"How do you know her?" Kai didn't answer the male. "Kai." Tyson's father gave the boy a stern look that Kai knew they would pester him about until he told them. Walking to the window, Kai sighed, looking out at the snow. He remembered when Asuka helped him and Tala build their first snowman, or how to give a perfect launch.

"We grew up together. Asuka, her brother Hikaru, Tala, Bryan, Ian, Spencer, and I, we all grew up together at the abbey. She was six when she came there, a year older than Tala, Spencer, and I. Hikaru was eight at the time. Their parents died in a car accident. I'm not sure when she left the abbey, it was some time after I left, so I don't have a real clue. The reason Boris took her and her brother in is because...her name is Asuka Balcov." There was silence in the room except for Maseo's soft crying, as all eyes fell on Kai.

"You mean that...Boris is her uncle," Mr. Dickenson said. If Boris was that girl's uncle, did that mean that he would likely hurt her in anyway by the way Kai was acting?

"She went back because she has a few loose ends to tie up. We can't help her Boris won't allow it. He will just...just forget it. Asuka promised to return, and I know she will keep her promise." He just hoped that she didn't return in a body bag.

-----------ooooo-----------

Asuka felt her head snap against the cold floor, a yelp escaping her lips. Dots danced in front of her vision as she looked over to where Spencer was trying to get to her. "Stay there Spencer, I'm all right. Just watch over Bryan and Ian!" By now, Bryan was holding his ribs from a few kicks to the mid section, Asuka had tried to help, but they tossed her away like a rag doll. With a wince, she sat up, blinking the blood from her eyes as she looked over to where the male with fair hair leaned against a wall, choking up blood. Ian was next to him, fear in his eyes.

"Asuka," Ian said.

"Just stay with him," Asuka shouted, making her way to her feet before finding a boot square in the chest. All her breath left her body, tossing her back once more. Above her, the guard she first smacked, smirked as he kneeled down, pulling her into a kneeling position by her hair.

"You're a tough little bitch aren't you?" he said, his voice thick with want, leaning down so they were nose to nose. She could feel his hot breath, felt sick from the rancid odor. "If I had my way, you would never leave my bed. I bet you're tight, aren't you? Probably still a virgin, huh?"

"Fuck off!" she spat in his face. The male's face turned bright red as he shoved her to the ground, buckling his pants.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, Dostoevsky? If Director Balcov finds that you..." one of the guards started, noticing the officer climbing over the girl pinning her to the ground. She continued to stare up at him with defiance.

"What do you think I'm doing? It's not like Director Balcov will know, he'll be too busy with his play toy," the male named Dostoevsky stated. "I'm going to teach her the lessons of humiliation. Let's see how good she is at handling something like this." The man leaned down to kiss Asuka, the girl struggling to get free. "Bukharin, grab her hands, so I can see what I'm working with."

The officer addressed was a young man of about twenty-two. He stared at his superior as the man tried to pin the girl to the ground and kiss her. He knew this wasn't right, but it was a job, a good paying job. He couldn't loss it because of what he felt. Pushing his feelings to the side, he went over to where his superior officer was, taking hold of the girl's arms. Officer Dostoevsky crept his hands under her shirt, tightly squeezing her breasts.

"That's right how do you like that," the male said, moving his hands down her stomach as he leaned in to kiss her, but unexpected, she leaned up and clamped on to his neck, bearing her teeth into the flesh. Above her the male howled as she continued to clamp on, breaking the skin and blood trickled down. Violent Russian curses escaped his mouth, as he tried pulling her from his neck, but she was like a rabid dog and the more he pulled, the tighter she sank her teeth in. "Bukharin, hit her with your club!"

"Yes sir!" Releasing the girl's arms, he pulled out his club, striking her in the back of the head. This only made her clamp on tighter, refusing to let go. The male again hit her on order of his superior officer, still Asuka refused to let go. In fact, she bit down harder. Blood dribbled from the corners of her mouth, sliding down her chin.

"Hit her fucking harder!" Dostoevsky howled, knowing if they didn't get her off him, she might just rip out muscle he forciably tried yanking her away. "Hit her in the back of her throat!"

"But sir! If I hit her in the throat, her windpipes," Bukharin stated.

"That's right, Dostoevsky," another officer joined in the conversation while his buddies beat the other three Demolition Boys. "Hit her in the wrong space, windpipes are gone. Then Director Balcov will have your ass."

"Fuck you, Gorbachev," Dostoevsky swore. Looking down, he found the girl glaring up at him, defiance in her eyes. "You little cunt, you think I care if Balcov is your uncle." Pulling out his club, he smacked her one good time in the skull with his club. Gasping from the pain, she let go, but then was caught in the face with the weapon. The pain of the club coming across the bridge of her nose, cheek, and her left eye was enough to drop her to the floor, holding her face.

"Did you have to hit her in the face sir?" Bukharin inquired, watching the girl curl into a ball, holding her face. Her body rocked with silent cries she declined to let go.

"I should have hit her harder," Dostoevsky sneered, kicking Asuka in the side before storming away from her to tend to his bleeding neck. Bukharin stood there, looking at the girl shaking from the massive wave of pain that must be spreading through her face. Getting down on one knee, he turned her onto her back, pulling her hands away. Tears streamed down her face as swelling began to occur. Her eyes was already red from a star that the blow must have caused, blood trickling out her nose was mixing with the tears that she shed.

With a grimace, the young man picked up the girl, taking her away from the others to go get some help. "Why?" Asuka managed a choked reply.

The young officer stared down at the girl who looked at him with curiosity. She had to be no more than sixteen or seventeen from the looks of it. It was hard to believe she was Director Balcov's niece. It didn't seem real, maybe because of the treatment she was receiving. The young officer had a younger sister in fact, he didn't think he could take having this happen to her, standing by, not doing a thing to save her from such horrendous treatment. With a short smile, he gave her a sympathetic smile. "You remind me of my little sister, Anya."

"You don't belong here," Asuka choked.

"Don't talk. You'll only choke more. Rest...I'm sorry," he whispered, seeing the pain deep in her eyes. Hating the fact he could do nothing for her. It would not only be his job, but his life and that of his own sister's if he got involved with this girl. He couldn't risk it. It was hard living on your own with a sister to provide for. But it was an even greater weight that he would leave this girl in this place, go to his safe home and unknowing sister and have to forget all about this girl and the things he did and saw that day.

Asuka stared up at him for a long time before her eyes closed from the burning pain that swept one corner of her face to the other. She didn't realized she had slipped into unconsciousness until she came to on a table, a cool pack against her left eye, and cushion around her nose. Sitting up, she felt the full effects of the beating she got. Beating...she was taken away from Spencer and the others!

"Take it easy," a soft voice said beside the table. Turning her attention to that area, she found the young man from before. His dark green eyes slightly hid behind dark brown hair. Asuka realized it was the same male that took her away from the Demolition Boys when the other officer hit her in the face with the club. "The doctors said that you were lucky your nose didn't break."

For a long second, Asuka stared at the male that was smiling at her. Turning her eyes away from him, she stared down at the bruises on her arms. "Arigato...ano...gokurousama." (Translation: "Thank you...well...I appreciate your efforts.")

"I didn't know you spoke Japanese," Bukharin said with a smile. "I studied the language for a year or two back in college. I was going there with my sister. Her name's Anya, watakushi no namae wa, Nicholai Bukharin." (Translation: "my name is...")

"Mine is Asuka."

"Asuka. You must be part Japanese then. You have both accents," Bukharin smiled.

"Tell me...the others, are they all right?" She stared at the male whose eyes went dark immediately. He really didn't belong working at the abbey. His heart was still warm, unlike the many individuals her uncle hired. He had a sister maybe her age or younger. He apologized for what he was made to do...no...this place wasn't a place for someone like him.

"Director Balcov ordered for the other officers to stop once you were hit. The officer that...he was put to death by your uncle, then he ordered me to watch over you," Bukharin said. "I told him that I would become your personal guard if it was okay with him. He granted me permission until further orders. I'm supposed to show you to your room when you awaken. Are you okay to move, Asuka?"

"Hai," she whispered. "Doshite? Bukharin-san wa tasukeru imasu ka?" (Translation: "Why? Why are you helping me?")

"I told you, you remind me of my younger sister. She's about your age you are sixteen, aren't you? She's fifteen now, her birthday was last month," Bukharin said. "Now come on." Asuka lowered her face, refusing to allow him to see her tears that she forced back once more. She was going to be strong. She wasn't about to let him see her tears.

Maybe...things can be different. Could there be a chance that he was sent as an angel from my parents? Can I finally end everything for good this time? Only time would tell, and that was something she had very little of. It would only be a matter of time before her world collapsed around her.


End file.
